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UN Photo/Yutaka Nagata

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United Nations Emergency Force in the Middle East

On 6 October 1973 hostilities broke out again in the Middle East. The Security Council held several urgent meetings and on 22 October called for a cease-fire. Three days later, on 25 October, it decided to send a 7,000-man U.N. Emergency Force (UNEF) to the area to observe the cease-fire and to do its best to prevent a recurrence of the fighting. The first elements of the new Force arrived in Cairo the next day. The Force consists of contingents from Austria, Canada, Finland, Ghana, Indonesia, Ireland, Panama, Peru, Poland, Senegal and Sweden, and is under the command of Lt. Gen. Ensio Siilasvuo of Finland. Contingents from Kenya and Nepal are expected to join the Force. Military observers of the U.N. Truce Supervision Organization in Palestine (UNTSO), which has been serving in five-States in the Middle East-Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria - since 1948, are co-operating with UNEF in fulfilling its tasks. The Force is also working closely with the International Committee of the Red Cross in its humanitarian endeavours. On 24 January 1974 a disengagement agreement was reached between Egypt and Israel. As a result of that agreement and pending a final settlement, UNEF troops will be stationed in a buffer zone separating the forces of the two countries on the east bank of the Suez Canal.

A view of a Mine Training Course organized by the Polish Logistic Team for Engineering Officers from all UNEF contingents as well as logistic teams. Participants were informed of the various types of mines used by Egyptian and Israeli Armed Forces. At right making a statement is Col. Tauno Kuosa (Finland), Chief Operations Officer. Standing next to him is Lt. Col. Felikx Cembrzynski (Poland), Chief Engineering Officer.